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Andrew Young to speak in Statesboro

Special to the Courier

POSTED:December 15, 2013 9:18 a.m.

STATESBORO — Andrew Young will be the featured speaker at Georgia Southern University’s 2014 MLK Celebration at 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Performing Arts Center, 847 Plant Drive. Young has served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, U.S. congressman and Atlanta mayor. He is a best-selling author and producer of the TV series “Andrew Young Presents.” In 2011, he received an Emmy Award for lifetime achievement, according to the show’s website.“Our students were drawn to his significance in the civil rights era of Dr. King, and they made Andrew Young their choice to serve as this year’s speaker,” said Dorsey Baldwin, the director of GSU’s Multicultural Student Center. “Since Andrew Young has an amazing body of work in civil rights, along with his success in the public sector and politics, he has an inspiring story to share. This is a great educational opportunity for our students and our University.”The annual celebration commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and the University’s Multicultural Student Center.The event is free. Tickets will not be distributed, and seating is limited. There will be an addition to the next MLK Celebration. GSU students will participate in an essay contest focusing on the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.“This will be an evening for our students, faculty, staff and community to hear about the civil-rights movement firsthand from someone who made history,” Baldwin said. For more information, go to www.georgiasouthern.edu.